Hundreds march in DeKalb to declare “No kings” at anti-Trump protest

DeKALB – Hundreds gathered in DeKalb Saturday, part of a planned day of nationwide anti-Trump protests, with many expressing anger at what they see is the undemocratic way President Donald Trump is running the government.

The protest began about midday in Hopkins Park, 1403 Sycamore. By 11:40 a.m. more than 100 people were gathered. By noon, the crowd size grew to about 200, and again to an estimated 500 by 12:40 p.m.

One protester was wildlife biologist Amielle DeWan, of Sycamore. She runs Impact by Design, a conservation-oriented nonprofit that supports like-minded nonprofits across the globe. Through her organization, Dewan said she’s work with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Parks Service and others.

The majority of programs funded by USAID recently were cut by the federal government, The Associated Press reported.

“[When] USAID got shut down all of my contracts got shut down,” DeWan said. “I can personally attest to the incredible work that USAID and all of those organizations do on the ground.”

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Protesters cheer as cars honk their horns along Sycamore Road Saturday, April 19, 2025, during a “No Kings” rally and march at Hopkins Park in DeKalb. The group was protesting what they’ve argued is the unlawful and harmful federal policies of President Donald Trump and his administration. (Mark Busch)

The gathering, dubbed by locals a “No Kings” protest, was held two months to the day after the White House posted a fake Time Magazine cover with Trump wearing a crown in a social media post that contained the words “long live the king.”

The rally was also held 250 years and one day after Paul Revere rode from Charlestown to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn colonists of approaching British troops.

DeWan, 50, said she disagrees with federal officials who’ve said that cuts are needed to address fraud and fiscal waste.

“Unfortunately, the narrative that has been said is that it’s all fraud and waste,” DeWan said. “Pulling one line item with ChatGPT to figure out what the impact of those projects are without actually asking any questions – it’s just lies."

DeWan said slashes to federal agencies were the main reason she chose to protest Saturday.

While some protestors at recent DeKalb rallies have cried afoul at Trump’s planned federal workforce reductions, budget cuts and policies targeting veterans benefits and Social Security, many at Saturday’s protest said they were more concerned by what they believe are threats to due process.

Carmen Polvere, a precinct committee person for the DeKalb County Democratic Party, said he attended the protest to support constitutional rights.

“[I’m] basically, mainly out here for the 5th and 14th Amendments and the due process clause,” Polvere said. “It is embarrassing that we have to protest this in 2025. And I firmly believe that by us getting together and showing how upset we are that we can make a difference.”

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people who lawfully enter and reside in the U.S. have the same basic constitutional rights, such as those presented in the Bill of Rights, as natural-born and naturalized citizens.

Despite that judicial precedent, some actions by federal immigration officials have garnered headlines across the country in recent days.

About 1,000 international students at U.S. higher education institutions have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated since late March, The AP reported. Five Northern Illinois University students also had their visas revoked, officials confirmed last week. Authorities and NIU leaders have not said why the students lost their visas.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen who was living in Maryland, was sent to El Salvador by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation. The U.S. Supreme Court told the administration to return him to the U.S., but as of Saturday, Abrego Garcia still was detained.

White House officials have said that he’s connected to the MS-13 gang, but Abrego Garcia’s attorneys say the government has provided no evidence of that, and that Abrego Garcia has never been charged with any crime related to such activity.

DeWan said she could hardly comprehend what has happened to Abrego Garcia, calling it “unbelievably insane and terribly scary.”

“I was delighted to see that the [U.S. Supreme Court] did an emergency hearing last night to push back on that ... but it’s disgusting,” DeWan said.

The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th-century wartime law, The AP reported early Saturday morning. The Trump administration later Saturday filed paperwork urging the high court to reconsider its hold.

Polvere said he’s concerned by what could happen if the U.S. judicial system can’t prevent the executive branch from detaining people without due process.

“There is a concern, not so much for myself or my family, but you know, those clauses clearly say persons,” Polvere said. “It doesn’t say citizens, and it applies to everybody. So, I am concerned. Fear, no, I’m not afraid, but I am concerned.”

Multiple protesters declined interviews with Shaw Local News Network on Saturday because they said they feared retaliation for speaking their mind.

Vicki Panke said she attended the protest because she thinks Americans aren’t paying close enough attention to the actions of the Trump administration.

“Many of the rights that are being threatened or taken away, or some of the privileges we have as Americans, are hard fought and took a long time to get,” Panke said. “I think Trump and his band of merry men are destroying things and people just aren’t paying enough attention.”

Jen Justice, an english instructor at Northern Illinois University, said she protested because she has friends and family who have been adversely impacted by the Trump administration’s decisions.

She said she’s most perturbed by the actions of federal officials that she fears could have life-altering consequences for law-abiding people.

“If you are lucky enough not to be part of these marginalized groups, you don’t realize just how deep and how dangerous this is,” Justice said. “I need to stand up to say something about that, and I think that’s true for a lot of the people here.”

Saturday’s demonstration wasn’t the first time anti-Trump groups and Democrats have organized in DeKalb County to rally against what they’ve argued is unlawful and harmful federal policies since Trump’s inauguration. Multiple similar demonstrations also were held across northern Illinois on Saturday. Anti-Trump Hands Off protests were held in all 50 states earlier this month and again on Saturday.

The protest in DeKalb was organized by the DeKalb County Democrats, DeKalb Migrant Aid, Responsive Engagement Activating Civic Talent (REACT), and Exploring Issues, organizers said.

Protesters holding American flags and poster board signs eventually walked from Hopkins Park, along the west side of Sycamore Road to Barber Greene Road, where they crossed the road and marched south back to Hopkins Park.

Dozens of signs were on display during the protest, including one with the words “True Americans uphold the constitution.” One protester wrote “a prison without due process is a concentration camp,” while another wrote “obey the courts.”

Throughout the rally, DeKalb County Democratic Party Chair Anna Wilhelmi led chants. Many protesters cheered as dozens of cars honked, seemingly in support of their cause. No one appeared to counter the protest, but one truck did bellow a large cloud of black smoke when passing the protest. Several of the protesters took issue with that action.

Justice said she’s worried overall about kindness prevailing amid the current presidential administration.

“The fact that this administration looked at a pastor asking them to have empathy for the people who are scared and they called ... it disrespectful,” Justice said. “They called it a sin of empathy. I don’t understand how human kindness is something that we are so, so ready to just toss aside because our own selves are comfortable.”

The Associated Press contributed.